Comments on: p.185 (Chapter Seven)

By: redbeard

redbeard — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 07:20:46 +0000

That was my understanding too — that it’s freaking cold in there. Note also that the doors only have a level 5 danger level warning – so it’s not a vacuum or similarly deadly environment in there. Likely the suits are as much for maintenance of a cleanroom type environment inside to protect the equipment as for protection of the people working inside. You’d want to keep a high level of cleanliness around high power equipment that can suddenly be in 0g — everything that was on all the surfaces becomes suddenly airborne due to ventilation (with nothing holding it down anymore).

By: Vulpis

Vulpis — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 03:15:52 +0000

IIRC the original version–I’m not sure about vaccuum, but the space past the doors is supposed to be very *cold*…these are thermal-protection suits. And I think they have Anime Air Supplies, given that Tara’s shown that her designs were somewhat inspired by Leiji’s designs in general and Yamato in particular.

By: Quieteyes

Quieteyes — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 02:56:32 +0000

My first take on the suits is that they’re anti-radiation in nature (to protect against the mu-rays or whatever). The harnesses are simply safety equipment for when they’re climbing around the engine (though it does seem a bit much so close to the floor; maybe they’re in low-G?).

As for the atmosphere, I assumed it was still breathable air (albeit, highly radioactive). This is partially based on the glass doors which don’t seem strong enough to handle a 15psi pressure differential (then again, this is the future). However, now I suspect the room is filled with some inert gas (no idea…argon?) to prevent trouble when things go wrong.

Scratch that – the suits don’t have air bottles or hoses. Thus the atmosphere must be normal (or at least breathable with in-suit filtration).

By: Stewart

Stewart — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 20:50:28 +0000

Neat link!

Now if only Rothfuss would finish book two…

By: J. Wilde

J. Wilde — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 16:00:34 +0000

Is there a reason why certain parts of the Engineering Plant are kept at a vacuum that would necessitate wearing a pressure suit? Also, kudos Tara for the detail of the safety harness that clips by D-ring into a stanchion while “aloft,” but that ladder to get up there should probably terminate a little higher up the column. I can’t imagine how awkward that must have been to pull one’s self up over the lip of the platform like that in a pressure suit.

By: Glennnn

Glennnn — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 14:20:05 +0000

Yes, but do they have hot chocolate?
Of course not!
And if they did they wouldn’t be allowed to sip it (unless those clever engineers have figured out how to get it inside their pressure suits!)

By: HardWearJunkie

HardWearJunkie — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 13:49:50 +0000

This is obviously Engineering. If an area that requires you to work, tinker, and overhaul equipment dictates workers don a fully pressurized suit, then it is Engineering.

How can I tell those suits are pressurized? They have full body harness straps.

By: Rockphed

Rockphed — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:40:08 +0000

Well, obviously they have tighter cleanliness standards than whatever we shall call the science department. Does it have a special name like engineering?

By: Insectoid

Insectoid — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 08:37:12 +0000

Sounds to me like Mal doesn’t like being in Engineering.